A few days ago, Hu Zhongming, the former Chief of Staff of the Chinese Navy, was promoted to the rank of admiral and took over the important position of Navy Commander. Subsequently, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress announced the latest personnel appointments. Former Navy Commander Dong Jun was promoted to Minister of Defense and became the new China's Defense Minister. The first Minister of Defense with a naval background since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Behind these two major military personnel appointments, there must be in-depth considerations of national interests, and the West also maintains a high degree of concern about this. Especially when it comes to the selection of our new defense minister, this is mainly because the new defense minister Dong Jun has served as director of the Military Training Department of the Naval Command, deputy chief of staff of the Navy, deputy commander of the East China Sea Fleet, deputy commander of the Southern Theater Command, etc., and is responsible for the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait. , has a full understanding of the sea conditions and sea conditions in the South China Sea, and has rich command experience. This has shown a very positive side to the United States, which is eager to resume military communication mechanisms with us. A spokesperson for the Pentagon recently stated that in order to allow the highest-level military representatives of the two countries to engage in substantive dialogue, the United States is seizing the time to make preparations and arrangements. And a working meeting at the Ministry of National Defense will be held in January 2024.
As we all know, the United States has made similar requests to us more than once in the past period. Now, they have sent such an urgent "invitation letter" not long after our new defense minister was unveiled. They are obviously aware of the high-level dialogue between the Chinese and American militaries. importance. But the United States is in a hurry, which does not mean that we will immediately agree to their invitation. After all, when our new defense minister takes office, there will definitely be many important matters that need to be dealt with, and the United States will not necessarily meet him just because he says he will. On the other hand, the United States has been dishonest recently in the direction of the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. It makes some noises from time to time and wants to cause trouble for us. Under this background, can the high-level dialogue between the Chinese and American militaries produce breakthrough results? There is a problem here This is a big question mark that the United States should be aware of.
Unlike the United States, which says one thing and does another, ASEAN countries have made substantial positive moves to resolve the South China Sea issue. A few days ago, the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries issued a joint statement, issuing initiatives and calls for maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the South China Sea. Although ASEAN did not explicitly mention China and the Philippines, judging from the specific content, it actually meant "beating" the Philippines.
First of all, in the statement, ASEAN expressed its respect for and commitment to abide by universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to use peaceful means to resolve disputes without resorting to force or the threat of force. What does it mean? To put it bluntly, ASEAN only recognizes international law, and the South China Sea arbitration case is not considered at all. The implication is that Marcos should not think about it and bluff all day long pointing to a meaningless arbitration result. Secondly, in the five-article statement, ASEAN also mentioned that it welcomes the efforts of all parties to control the situation and maintain peace and stability. Recognize the benefits of the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity. ASEAN actually said this somewhat cryptically, but in fact, ASEAN has been well aware of who has exercised restraint in the South China Sea during this period. On the other hand, in the Philippines, Marcos used the power of the United States to jump up and down. How can this show that he is committed to building the South China Sea into a sea of prosperity? Therefore, although ASEAN did not make it clear, it actually hinted to Marcos to remember ASEAN's common position and not to make it difficult for everyone.
Regarding the "signal" released by ASEAN, we cannot infer whether it is directly related to the appointment of China's new defense minister, but it obviously has a certain indirect impact. In the context of Sino-US competition, some Southeast Asian countries have been slightly careless. They may be involved in a big turmoil. As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer. As long as they are discerning, they will definitely try to stay away from the center of chaos, instead of being stubborn like the Philippines now. ASEAN is probably full of complaints about this. At present, many people are advocating that hitting with one punch will avoid hundreds of punches. Perhaps this is the most beneficial solution for China. If the Philippines still cannot see clearly the situation, then it has no one to blame.
